PHILADELPHIA, Penn. — Freeman’s has announced the results of its April 8 Asian Arts auction, which featured lively bidding wars between online and phone buyers, resulting in many lots selling well above their pre-sale estimates. Absentee and Internet live bidding was facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.
The highlight of the 138-lot auction was a red underglaze Meiping Dragons and Waves vase, which realized $2.3 million, far surpassing its pre-sale estimate of $150,000-$250,000. The auction totaled more than $3 million, with a 91% sell-through rate.
“We’re absolutely thrilled that Freeman’s was able to offer such a fine and well-curated collection of Asian art, including various porcelains, jades, and other works of art,” remarked Head of Department Ben Farina. “We were particularly delighted by the reception and performance of the Meiping dragon vase, and feel fortunate to have been entrusted with a number of heirloom collections, which were passed down through several generations.”
The carved and red-underglazed vase that sold for $2.3 million is a rare example of a small group of wares made for the Yongzheng court, inspired by Yongle period (1402-1424) porcelain prototypes. The vase received a high opening bid of $1.2 million, followed by competitive bidding from multiple phone bidders.
The auction began with a bidding war over a Ming dynasty blue and white porcelain large bowl, which sold for $30,240, trouncing its $5,000 high estimate. This set the stage for several other impressive sale prices for works of Chinese porcelain, including a Chinese puce-enameled porcelain cylindrical brush pot, which realized $63,000 against an estimate of $3,000-$5,000, and a Chinese famille verte-decorated lobed porcelain large bowl, which realized $22,680 against an estimate of $4,000-$6,000.
Other lots that fared well in the Asian Arts sale include a large kesi tapestry Dragons panel. Estimated at $12,000-$15,000, it elicited strong interest and realized $63,000. A Chinese carved twelve-panel Coromandel folding screen, estimated at $20,000-$30,000, realized $85,050 following a bidding war sparked by strong market interest in folding screens of this kind.
Multiple small Chinese carvings commanded high sale prices, including a Chinese carved rock crystal seal that sold for $50,400, ten times above its high estimate; a Chinese carved jadeite meiren, which achieved $22,680; and a Chinese carved amber figure of a sage and acolytes, which soared above its $1,000-$1,500 estimate to achieve $25,200.
[av_button label=’Click to view the auction catalog complete with prices realized’ icon_select=’no’ icon=’ue800′ font=’entypo-fontello’ link=’manually,https://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/197729_asian-arts/’ link_target=’_blank’ size=’small’ position=’center’ label_display=” title_attr=” color_options=” color=’theme-color’ custom_bg=’#444444′ custom_font=’#ffffff’ btn_color_bg=’theme-color’ btn_custom_bg=’#444444′ btn_color_bg_hover=’theme-color-highlight’ btn_custom_bg_hover=’#444444′ btn_color_font=’theme-color’ btn_custom_font=’#ffffff’ id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-8oi9osw’ admin_preview_bg=”]
View top auction results on LiveAuctioneers here: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/pages/recent-auction-sales/